DOHA: Debutants Tajikistan sealed a place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup in dramatic fashion on Monday with a last-gasp 2-1 win over 10-man Lebanon that included three lovely goals and another two strikes ruled out by VAR.

China’s 1-0 loss to hosts Qatar meant Tajikistan went through in second place from Group ‘A’ on a night of drama.

Before the third and final round of games, holders Qatar were the only team to have scored a goal in the group, and any of the other three had a shot at finishing behind them in second.

In a stadium festooned with their cedar-tree flags, Lebanon took control of the game early, launching repeated attacks but finding no more penetration than they had in their previous two games.

Tajikistan were mostly restricted to shots from outside the box until the stroke of half time, when midfielder Mabatshoev Shervoni slalomed into the Lebanon area, his attempted cross taking a huge deflection off Lebanon’s Robert Melki to loop over the wrong-footed goalkeeper and into the net.

But Tajik celebrations were cut short when the referee ruled the goal out for the tightest of offsides.

Their misery was compounded almost immediately after the restart when Bangkok United forward Bassel Jradi arched in a delicious strike from the edge of the area and inside the far post.

But Lebanon soon had a man sent off when a VAR check upgraded Kassem El Zein’s yellow card — for a studs-up, over-the-ball tackle — to a red.

With a man advantage, Tajikistan camped out in the opposition half, and as the 70th minute approached they once again thought they had scored.

But Alisher Dzhalilov’s goal was scratched off, again for a cruelly slender offside.

When their equaliser did finally arrive, there could be no doubt, Parvizdzhon Umarbaev topping Jradi’s strike with a curling free kick to bring stunned silence to the Jassim Bin Hamid Stadium.

As things stood the Tajiks were going through in second, but they continued to push for a winner.

No sooner had the fourth official signalled a whopping 16 minutes of added time, than they got it, substitute Nuriddin Khamrokulov flicking a delicate backwards header over goalkeeper Mostafa Matar.

Lebanon’s Hilal El-Helwe had a chance to pull one back, at the death, but shot wide as they exited the tournament.

Qatar, who had already won the group and sealed a last-16 place, rested key players but still beat China after captain Hassan Al-Haydos scored the winner with a fantastic volley from a corner after 66 minutes to give the hosts maximum points.

On Sunday, Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia qualified for the knockout stage after they beat Kyrgyzstan 2-0 in a one-sided Group ‘F’ game at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium where two Kyrgyz players were sent off for reckless fouls.

The result moved Saudi Arabia to six points at the top the group while Thailand are two points behind in second after they drew 0-0 with Oman (one point) earlier on Sunday. Kyrgyzstan are bottom after losing both their games.

Kyrgyzstan had Aizar Akmatov and Kimi Merk sent off early in each half and the red cards set the tone for the rest of the match as Saudi Arabia finished the game with 28 shots while facing only one.

Kyrgyzstan had a nightmare start to the game when centre back Akmatov saw red in the ninth minute for a high boot on Sami Al-Naji’s shin as the midfielder drove towards the box. Akmatov was initially yellow-carded but the referee flashed the red after a VAR check.

The Saudis could not immediately turn the numerical advantage into goals, with Feras Al-Brikan missing two big chances.

The frustration looked set to continue when Abdulelah Al-Malki hit the post, but Saud Abdulhamid collected the rebound and crossed the ball back into the box for Mohamed Kanno to volley home on 35 minutes.

Kyrgyzstan’s night went from bad to worse when Merk was sent off in the 52nd minute for a reckless challenge on Hassan Al-Tambakti where he caught the defender on the ankle, with VAR intervening again after the midfielder was only cautioned.

Saudi substitute Faisal Al-Ghamdi finally added a second goal in the 84th minute, letting fly a shot from the edge of the box that goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev fumbled into the goal.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024